Working Efficiently

Tips for Managing IT Team Effectively

March 4, 2022 by Sydney Kendellen Leave a Comment

How to utilize your team effectively — Your team can either lead the company to success, or failure, which is why you need to utilize them as best as you can.

Teamwork is essential for creating the foundation of a high-performing business. Good team ethic leads to the success and smooth operations of your company. By identifying employees’ skill sets and assigning tasks that are well suited to their abilities helps to improve team efficiency. An effective team includes skills such as good problem-solving skills, decision making, communication and interpersonal skills. Here are some tips you can use when managing your team to benefit your company.

First, behind every successful business lies a great team. Teamwork maximizes the individual strengths of team members to bring out their best. Selecting individuals with the proper skills for the job is an important part of building a strong and successful team. When the right people are in place, work is always a priority and projects are completed effectively. You can find this out by:

How they embrace challenges
What motivates them
How the work with others
What their strengths and weaknesses are
How they handle stress and negative situations

When an effective team is set in stone they ensure success for your company operations.

Second, communicating the idea of success you’ve developed to your team in a way that clarifies both goals and expectations. All team members should trust, respect, and support each other, once the team is established and each member should know the value of their personal contribution to the team goal. By involving team members in the decision making process, it helps to limit conflict and complaints related to projects and tasks. The quality of decisions made will improve when the whole team is involved. Team decision making is beneficial, as it offers a diverse set of views that work towards creating a positive outcome for the company.

Third, conflict often arises when team members focus on personal issues rather than work related issues. Building a positive relationship with your colleagues can make for a much less stressful environment and work to reduce conflict. Teams who work particularly well together enjoy each other’s company and get together outside of the office from time to time to socialize and have some fun. This will lead to more productivity and success in the long run.

Finally, motivation can be in short supply during times of stress for some employees. However, if you have employees that approach work with a positive attitude and complete their tasks, other employees with recognize their hard work. Seeing others working productively will encourage underperforming employees to work harder as well. This will help to increase motivation and efficiency in your workplace.

Overall, these tips help to create an effective team and successful company!

The Days of Manual Data Collection are Over

March 3, 2022 by Sophie Donais Leave a Comment

manual data collection and input to excel inefficient — Manual organization of data and project updates amongst a team may lead to greater margin for human error.

It is understandable that companies may want to cut expenses by performing manual documentation of data in a spreadsheet format for project organization. However, although a spreadsheet can provide these services it is not as diverse in efficiencies as web-based project management software powered by a commercial database. This type of software can provide multiple services such as employee scheduling, project scheduling, communication platform, organized documentation, and many more.

Spreadsheets are known as a domain for manual data documentation which can be used for project management however, here are the reasons it is inefficient:

Manual data collection and documentation
No automatic assignment of tasks
No automatic updates and reports
No project updates or tracking
Manual financial calculations of resources

Further we will discuss why using web-based project management software within your company is more efficient and worth the investment:

Project Progression

The requirement of project manager’s to constantly question employees on the status of their project is an inefficient method prone to human error. This collection of information must also be diligently inputted into Excel by the one individual each time a round check-in has been performed. The frequent questioning of employee’s progress may cause them to feel a lack of trust towards their superiors. However, project management software can be utilized to avoid human error and maintain this trust within the team.

Dependency and Documentation

Utilizing spreadsheets within your company causes a great dependence on one individual to input and update data. This does not make it easy to track changes and alter timelines which are important functions when managing a project. The reliance on one individual and lack of tracking changes can very easily lead to errors in documentation. The implementation of web based project management software can track changes automatically and eliminate reliance on one individual.

Project Summaries

To provide a summary of all aspects of your project without the use of a project management software can become complex with multiple open tabs including emails, data, and documentation.

In contrast project management software provides a detailed summary of the lifespan of your project. This type of software has the capacity of managing all departments of an organization, not simply just the IT department. The functions of this software include but are not limited to; financials, project updates, scheduling, document organization, communication systems, and tasks.

Building Reports

Spreadsheets are simply a domain where data is inputted and stored, they do not provide a built-in reporting system. However, project management software builds reports for you so your time is not consumed scouring data and locating documents.

Data Organization

Spreadsheets may be useful for storing data in one specific place but when it comes to managing a project, multiple members of the team need access to this information. There is usually one person in charge of maintaining the data updates when updates are manual. This means employees cannot make project updates in real time leading to a greater margin for error in data records.

Project management software is intended to provide companies with the tools to maintain organization and efficiency within projects.

Request a demo today to learn more about what project management software can do for your company.

Software Integration

February 23, 2022 by Sydney Kendellen Leave a Comment

A growing business can quickly turn into a complex web of software apps, inventory management, accounting, and finance systems. Utilizing a wide range of software can obstruct your chances for success. This has seen a lot of companies turn to single purpose applications to cut down the time spent on project management, billing, help desk support, and other business operation tasks. Software integration is guaranteed to increase efficiency and productivity.

Most business organizations use various software platforms, it can be difficult to make all of the systems work together. Multiple software solutions can slow down your process and eventually break your system. The goal of software integration is to get IT systems to work together, so costs are reduced, and the speed of data and information transfer is increased. Integration is not only used to connect an organization’s internal systems, but to also integrate third parties that organizations operate with. More importantly, software integrations can be designed so that you don’t lose any valuable information when they interface.

Cost Efficiency

Maintaining multiple systems is expensive and requires substantial IT resources. Depending on the number of systems, the cost can quickly add up. Consequently, valuable IT time that could be used to make the business more productive is wasted, while maintenance costs significantly increase. An integrated software solution eliminates the need for repetitive tasks. As a result, essential tasks can now be completed more efficiently while using the same resources, reducing unnecessary costs. This not only saves you money but also valuable time and effort that would otherwise be spent training employees to use a new system.

Integrated software helps achieve higher efficiency by eliminating the need for repetitive manual data entry. It is also easier to train employees on a more simplified system rather than various platforms. All information is saved in one location, so you do not have to spend extra money for additional storage of multiple systems. Not only will this lead to better organization but also to less stress when locating where information are stored for informational and reporting purposes. This also helps you save time, so you can prioritize more important tasks efficiently.

Ultimately your data will be easier to access and report on across the enterprise. Your IT team will be far more productive in a short period of time.

Why Centralized IT Management Improves Team Productivity

February 7, 2022 by Mark Donais Leave a Comment

Centralized IT Management systems store important project tasks and support ticket information, provide communication lines, and create harmonized employee assignments and schedules in one location. These systems can be used to manage your company projects and support increasing IT members’ efficiency and productivity.

Are you finding it nearly impossible to get organized and keep track of documents, schedule project tasks, and maintain customer service satisfaction simultaneously?

Using a centralized IT management system can solve this problem. This system consists of multiple IT services and is operated from one location. The organizational advantages provided by this system such as scheduling, messaging systems, time tracking, resource planning, and many more allow your team to successfully reach goals at a higher efficiency rate. This simplification service can provide benefits to your company’s productivity rates and here is why.

Reduce Multiple Platform Use

Managing multiple systems can become very disorganized especially when multiple communication platforms are being utilized. Important information can be missed due to a pileup of messages in different locations. However, with a Centralized IT Management System, notifications are organized in one location for communication with ease. Each team member will be notified of date tasks and news to achieve synchrony within the project at hand. This means all correspondence such as uploaded documents and task updates sent between team members will remain within the system. This makes referencing and locating previous work simple. This will enable you to provide a greater line of communication between you and your team.

Effective Scheduling

As you may already know, managing your employee’s schedules can be a difficult task. Scheduling becomes daunting when you are faced with an unexpected disruption that you as the manager must mediate immediately. Without a Centralized IT Management System, this type of disruption can draw too much of your valuable time away from other important work responsibilities. However, you can swiftly take charge by determining who you can delegate to unexpected support issues and communicating these changes in a timely manner with employees via a single platform. This system allows for more complex scheduling where co-workers can view each other’s schedules to see who they are working with in advance. In turn, this allows the employees to plan their day-to-day work with team members independently, therefore simplifying scheduling..

Productivity Improvement

Locating documents, reports, and emails can become an extremely tedious task when using a non-centralized IT management system. The amount of time spent looking for a document could be used much more efficiently. Using productivity software you can combat this issue. Your important documents are stored systematically in folders which all team members have access to through a simple spotlight search. This rules out the headache that comes along with relentlessly searching for unorganized documents. Employees can dedicate more of their time to the task at hand, increasing overall productivity.

Maintain ebb and flow

Using a Centralized IT management system is extremely crucial to maintaining efficiency within your team. When such a system is not being used, small miscommunications and disagreements can continue to compile and lead to greater conflict further down the line. The use of a productivity system enables all employees to communicate with higher-ranking individuals to be heard and feel that their ideas are valuable. This leads to greater harmonization among all employees increasing the productivity, efficiency, and success of your company.

What Employees can do to Help the Boss

March 21, 2019 by Mark Donais

Across the hierarchy of the business world, co-operation and teamwork are vital. As the crew works hard on the front line, efficiency is maximized when they do their best to assist the managers and bosses who keep the operations in check. To further improve the overall health of a business, some employees go above and beyond to help their managers handle the workload. It is this kind of employee that can send productivity through the roof, increase relationships among all types of workers, and overall profits. To these workers, benefits come in the form of favourability among superiors, increased value as an employee, and higher chances of getting a raise or promotion. To become one of these so-called workplace superheroes, follow these tips on how employees can make their boss’s life easier.

Beat Your Deadlines

While it may seem simple, one of the best things an employee can do to help out their boss is to exceed the expectations set on them for time management. By putting in some more effort, picking up the pace, and avoiding procrastination, time spent doing the work assigned can easily be reduced. As an initial goal, try to make the most out of the time you are given and cut time spent on tasks by 10-15%. Let the manager know that you have finished, and take the extra time to get started on a new task or help out your co-workers. If this is done consistently while the quality of the work is maintained, it can really help the company and will catch the attention of your superiors.

Forget the Words “Free Time”

Continuing on the aspect of time, employees who sit around and twiddle their thumbs after they have finished a task will stick out like a sore thumb to managers. Even when they have finished everything required, their bare-minimum attitude towards working will often catch them in a bad light from the boss’ perspective. In contrast, proactivity will always attract a positive opinion from superiors. Once a task is finished, ask what you can do to make better use of your time. If you can assist your manager with whatever task they are doing, then extra points for you. Either way, always be sure that you are providing as much value for the company and the best working experience for whoever is working above and beside you.

Fix Problems Before They Become Problems

To most managers, one big difference between a good employee and a bad one is their ability to think and act independently. If you see a leak that can be fixed or covered easily, do so before you alert your boss. If an angry customer can be comforted with an incentive that you have the authority to give, give it to them. The majority of small troubles within a workplace can be solved by the lowest levels of employees with some common sense. However, this isn’t to say you should hide issues from your boss. If it is a problem that could recur or an issue that requires further attention, notify them immediately after doing what you can to provide a solution. Situations are much easier for management to deal with when they have already been handled. When superiors know that you have the ability to deal with complicated matters on your own, they will see you as more capable and able to move up the ladder. Even if an issue does not need to be reported, your bosses would recognize your responsibility and will once again see you in a positive light.

How to Incentivize Productivity

April 13, 2018 by Mark Donais

The last thing a manager or workplace wants is laziness or a lack of productivity. When workers aren’t properly motivated to get a task done, there’s a high chance the company will not succeed. Therefore, a solution can be inspiring the workforce to be as productive as possible, and doing so will improve the health of the workers, managers, and the company as a whole. Businesses who master the art of incentivizing productivity are those who can rise the quickest and achieve the most success in the fast-paced market we live in. Below are a few tips on how to motivate workers to push their productivity to the next level.

Set Quotas

One of the essential motivators for everything that humankind has accomplished in the modern world is neccesity. Using this strategy can help to get simple tasks done better and faster as well. This doesn’t mean employees should be scared while working, but quotas can be important for keeping track of everyone’s productivity and helping workers realize when they are slacking off. Start by measuring the current rate at which each employee gets work done, and set a goal or requirement for the next month that is higher than their current output, or one that is more realistic to make the employee of value to the business. When standards are set higher and employees know that they will be rewarded or penalized based on the amount of work they complete.

Make it Competitive

Humans have the instinctive nature to be on top, or to at least be as good as those who surround them. In the office, if multiple employees are doing the same job or are measured in the same way, (friendly) competition can have a huge positive effect on the amount of work that each individual completes. Having a simple tally board that displays how many units sold, projects completed, or clients attained by each worker in a given time period will push those with a competitive mindset to go further. Better yet, offer an incentive for the top 1-3 performers like a bonus, gift card, or material gift each month to set their drive on fire. If there is an opportunity to move up the company’s ladder, tracking results publicly will also show employees what it takes to get a promotion or raise over their co-workers.

Offer Rewards along the Way

While financial rewards for small goals like commision and bonuses don’t work for many companies, there are tons of ways that employees can be rewarded for completing lots of quality work. Even work that doesn’t directly correlate with revenue can come with incentives, which can grow for larger achievements to push employees even further. Take, for example, a janitor at a restaurant. They have no direct impact on sales, nor do they have a target laid out for how clean the restaurant should be. if a building starts to get dirty more often and customers complain about it, then it is often most effective for the restaurant to increase the janitor’s motivation through small or non-financial rewards. For example, a new rule could be set so that every time a customer compliments the cleanliness of the business, the worker gets credit for a free meal or side item of their choice. If a month goes by without a single complaint, then the janitor could be recognized publicly with an employee of the month signs or another award of recognition.

Here is a tool that can help.

Tips for Managing IT Team Effectively